Splashdown
by JewelsGlow15
Summary: Lifeline Tag. Landing Atlantis on their new home. Sheppard's connection to the Chair.


A/N: This little tag came about because of a chat over on the shep/atlantis community about just what happens to someone who's using the Chair platform. Joe F. always seems to have this faze out moment after using it and this was my shot at the subject.

* * *

_**Splashdown**_

By Jewelsglow15

The broken, rushing colors fell away as Atlantis dropped out of hyperspace. The sub-light engines engaged immediately as the city, surrounded by a full shield (courtesy of their bright and shiny new ZPM) moved towards its new home, M35-117.

The planet, already dubbed 'New Lantea' by McKay, was slightly larger than their previous home. Its oceans were a dark, blue-gray from space and the mottled green-brown landmass appeared to be a bit smaller, although it was hard to tell through the swirling layer of clouds.

Still, after all the work and worry over the past 72 hours… the underlying and unstated fears about _never_ getting the great city to a suitable planet, 'New Lantea' was a sight for sore eyes.

In the main tower's Gateroom, there were still thousands of bits of broken glass lying everywhere from the once beautiful stained-glass panels that had formerly covered the central windows. It crunched under their feet as Lt. Colonel John Sheppard, Colonel Sam Carter and Dr. Rodney McKay came down the stairs from the Control Room to the empty window frames and gazed out at their new home world.

"We did it," Sheppard said in satisfied amazement.

"Well, there's still the _small_ matter of landing this thing," McKay remarked snidely.

"Yeah," Sheppard nodded, rather matter-of-factly. "I'll just jump in the Chair and ease us on down." He made a move to turn and go when Colonel Carter cautioned him.

"Well, that could be tricky… We drained a lot of power from the ZPM just getting here."

"Have we got enough energy to keep the shield up for re-entry?" Sheppard asked, looking concerned.

"There'd better be," Mckay said ominously.

They all looked at McKay.

"What?! A city this size'll create considerable friction. We come in too fast or too steep and the shield could attenuate under the stress and the whole place'll be torn to shreds… or burn up.. or both."

Sheppard's face screwed up and he looked about half a second from rolling his eyes. "It never ends with you, ya know?!"

McKay looked confused. "What?!"

"Nevermind- " Sheppard gave a slashing motion with his right hand to indicate that it didn't matter. "Just tell everyone to buckle up. We're goin' in." He turned away and headed off for the Chair Room.

Everyone else went back up to the Control Room. McKay muttering about patched, leaky conduits, over-confident flyboys and various methods of eminent death.

* * *

Shortly afterwards… John Sheppard sat himself down into the intricately carved, Ancient Control Chair. The Chair glowed its familiar blue immediately and eased his body into a comfortable reclined position. Sheppard relaxed as his connection to the city deepened to a pleasant hum that vibrated through his mind. 

Connecting with Atlantis through the Chair was hard to describe to those who'd never experienced it because there were so many facets to it. Plus- those facets changed from session to session and task to task. For instance, firing the drones vs. searching the Ancient database were completely different experiences. Surface connections like skimming the database barely needed more than a thought, whereas deeper ones, such as firing the drones, immersed the operator in the connection.

One thing they all had in common was the sensation of being cradled in a warm, safe place. This usually happened as soon as Sheppard sat down although most gene carriers needed to concentrate to find their connection. The second thing was the expanding of one's mind from the familiar but limited senses of the physical body to include an almost virtual reality provided by the city's sensors and immense information database. One's consciousness could zero in on any part of Atlantis or step back for a 3-Dimensional overview. Firing the drones was amazingly easy because the mind could track each one from launch to target with only a thought.

Personally, Sheppard usually closed his eyes when working with the Chair to shut out visual distractions. Hearing (McKay babble) was a little harder to tune out but he managed.

Presently, he set his hands on the gel-pad controls in the Chair's armrests and sent out an inquiry about the landing procedures. Images began flashing through his brain so fast he had to ask for Atlantis to slow down to a rate he could handle. The images slowed and then focused on a schematic tracking the city's current position and speed, angle and trajectory, as well as its projected landing site. Sheppard gave his approval and the great city altered its course. It headed towards the planet, still traveling at an impressive speed.

* * *

Up in the Control Room… Carter, McKay and Dr. Bill Lee were seated at the various consoles checking their data readings and schematics while Teyla Emmagan and Ronon Dex stood nearby. The city was vibrating slightly causing the hanging Ancient monitor screens to shiver. 

"The shields are holding. So far, so good," Carter said with satisfaction.

McKay, who was sitting next to her, checked his stats and made an unhappy sound.

"What's wrong?" Teyla asked as she braced one hand on the shaking console.

McKay made a face. "The angle's too steep. If we keep going like this, we're gonna put too much strain on the shield, which means more power draining from the ZedPM." He tapped his radio. "Sheppard- we're coming in too steep. You need to ease up on the angle of re-entry."

"In fact, you mean 'entry'," interrupted Dr. Lee. "You see, we never actually left this plan…."

"Bill!" Carter said sharply.

Lee blushed, "Right, right. Shutting up now…" He ducked his head.

The vibrations in the Control Room were getting worse as the city headed down into the atmosphere. Outside, the lower surface of the shield began to glow and then to burn as the friction of the upper atmosphere caused an immense heat build-up against it. The city was now a fiery meteor hurtling towards the planet's surface.

* * *

Sheppard, seated in the slowly revolving Control Chair, was concentrating hard. Unlike takeoff, landing was proving to be difficult. Leaving Lantea had been surprisingly easy, aside from the power issues. As he'd suggested to McKay, virtually all he'd had to do was set and confirm their course and command Atlantis to fly. It had been like riding a rocket, straight up. A serious adrenalin rush, even for a jet-jockey like him. 

Guiding the city to a safe landing wasn't quite so easy. Keeping Atlantis on course through the atmosphere was harder than anything he'd ever tried to do with Ancient technology. The closest he could come to describing it would be trying to take a smaller chopper through an Antarctic gale, fighting strong winds all the way. He couldn't afford to take his mind off it for a second.

McKay was yelling over the radio again. "Ease up on the angle!"

"I heard you the first time, Rodney," he answered through gritted teeth, not easing his concentration at all.

"And yet we're still coming in too steep!" McKay sent back.

A pithy retort about Rodney coming down and doing this himself briefly crossed Sheppard's mind. _Too bad I'm busy…_

Sheppard idly sent an inquiry about the entry angle to Atlantis, who sent back dozens of pages of data and schematics, all of which seemed to say the computer equivalent of 'Don't worry about it'." So he went back to concentrating on holding the city steady on its course and fixed on its landing site. Everything looked right online.

* * *

While the city continued on its downward plummet, the nerves of the people in the Control Room kept ratcheting tighter. The shaking was now getting even worse, with the heavy consoles jittering and jumping. 

Teyla, who had been holding onto the main console with one hand, now put both down to brace herself better. Carter suggested she might want to sit down but Teyla just shook her head and tightened her grip.

McKay, who was gripping the control panel pretty tightly himself, shouted, "Hang on!"

"We're over the ocean!" Lee announced in a concerned voice.

McKay tapped his radio. "Sheppard. You _need_ to slow us down now. We're coming in over the water."

"Copy that," came Sheppard's short answer.

Outside, the city had cleared the upper atmosphere and the ocean's surface was still coming closer at an alarming rate of speed.

"Still too fast! Slow down!" McKay shouted, then with forced calmness… "We wanna touch down gently, like a leaf kissing the surface of a pond." He motioned back and forth with his hand as if to show how softly they should land.

* * *

_Rodney was nattering on… Something about leaves and kissing… Whatever._ Sheppard shut the nonsense out and concentrated on exactly what he wanted the city to do, step by step. Their speed was still too high so he compensated by dialing up the inertial dampeners to maximum. 

The altitude continued to decrease and touchdown was less than a minute away. (He preferred touchdown to impact… It sounded better…certainly more optimistic.)

18,000 ft.

12,000 ft.

7,000 ft.

4,000 ft.

2,000 ft.

1,000 ft.

* * *

The impact with the water shook the entire city as it submerged briefly before popping back to the surface like a giant bubble. Its shield still intact, Atlantis skidded to a halt and rocked gently on the surface of the ocean. Small tidal waves from the impact headed off in all directions. 

Everyone in the Control Room was thrown violently forward in their seats while Teyla and Ronon struggled to keep their feet under them. Bill Lee, whose glasses had fallen off, slid them on again and stared around at the others as they all straightened back up.

McKay glared upwards and snarled sarcastically into the radio at Sheppard, "Nice Kissing!"

"How're we doing?" asked Carter calmly. She brushed at her hair, which was half falling down and checked her own readings.

McKay's sour expression changed to one of pleased surprise. "Systems are looking good… so far. Plenty of power in the ZedPM."

"Excellent. Then drop the shield," Carter ordered.

McKay nodded and complied.

* * *

Sheppard sat up as the Chair rose into its upright position. His dazed expression faded as his mind was released and fell back into his physical body. The blue Chair-lights died away and he looked around cautiously, waiting for the tower's signoff. 

San Carter's voice came happily from his comm. "Colonel Sheppard, we made it. The city's floating safely on the ocean. Excellent landing."

He slumped back into the Chair in relief. "Copy. Thank you," he said quietly.

_Carter, not Elizabeth, was here to enjoy their new home…_

A feeling of overwhelming sadness crept in to taint his relief, a bitter taste of ashes. Trying to accept a loss that was unacceptable… but was unfortunately reality.

His 'Never Leave a Man Behind' rock-solid policy had been revealed as the transparent hope and prayer that it was, backed only the will of the would-be rescuers and the luck of the given situation…

Lost in his thoughts, Sheppard barely registered the warm embrace and blue glow behind him until several minutes later when he straightened up and rose to leave. He absentmindedly patted the Chairback, feeling absurdly comforted and went to consult with the others about the hundreds of tasks yet to complete before this seemingly endless day was over.


End file.
